**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 988 in the Lok Sabha, concerning the Adi Vani mobile application and its impact on tribal welfare in Kerala. The response, provided by the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, details the launch, features, and implementation status of the app. The answer was given on 5th February 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Adi Vani App Launch and Objectives:**
* The Ministry of Tribal Affairs launched the beta version of the Adi Vaani mobile application on September 1st, 2025.
* It's available on the Android platform.
* The app aims to provide real-time text and speech translation between Hindi, English, and tribal languages, offer language learning tools, and preserve indigenous knowledge.
* **Key Features:**
* Text-to-Text, Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, and Speech-to-Speech translation.
* Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for digitizing and translating tribal manuscripts.
* Bilingual tribal dictionaries and subtitle integration.
* Health and cultural awareness content in native languages, including sickle cell disease information.
* **Language Support:**
* Real-time text-to-text and speech-to-text translation are live for Santali, Mundari, Bhili, and Gondi.
* Garo and Kui language support are nearing completion.
* More tribal languages are proposed to be included in the second phase.
* **Assessment and Feedback:**
* The government is assessing the app's total outreach and downloads.
* The Ministry has received feedback and testimonials from communities across the country.
* **Kerala Specific Implementation:**
* The reach, usability, and effectiveness of the app among Scheduled Tribe communities, particularly in Kerala, is not undertaken.
* While the Ministry has initiated more tribal languages and is exploring the modality to provide some of the features in offline mode. Adi Vaani is an online platform.
* Digital literacy training and infrastructural assistance are ongoing through TRIs and language experts, but no activity is being carried out in the State of Kerala.
* There have been no State-specific consultations, impact studies, or corrective measures undertaken in respect to Kerala.
**Impact Analysis**
**Scheduled Tribe Communities**
* **Impact:** Potential access to information, welfare services, language tools, and preservation of cultural heritage through the Adi Vani app.
* **Action Required:** Provide feedback to the Ministry regarding the app's usability, effectiveness, and desired features.
**Ministry of Tribal Affairs**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the development, implementation, and monitoring of the Adi Vani app.
* **Action Required:** Continue to assess app usage, incorporate user feedback, expand language support, and address accessibility challenges, particularly in areas with limited connectivity.
**Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) and Language Experts**
* **Impact:** Involved in providing digital literacy training and infrastructural assistance to tribal communities.
* **Action Required:** Collaborate with the Ministry to facilitate access to the Adi Vani app, provide training, and gather feedback from the communities.
**Scheduled Tribe Communities in Kerala**
* **Impact:** The app is currently in beta and testing is in process, reach, usability and effectiveness of the application among Scheduled Tribe communities, particularly in Kerala, is not undertaken. There have been no State-specific consultations, impact studies, or corrective measures undertaken in respect to Kerala.
* **Action Required:** None.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: Central ministry responsible for the Adi Vani app and tribal welfare.
Adi Vani: A mobile application launched by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to disseminate information and welfare services to Scheduled Tribes, featuring multilingual translation.
Kerala: Indian state where the reach and impact of the Adi Vani application among Scheduled Tribe communities is being assessed.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 988
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 5th FEBRUARY, 2026
ADI VANI APP AND TRIBAL WELFARE IN KERALA
988. DR. M P ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:
Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has launched the Adi Vani mobile application as a digital platform
for dissemination of information and delivery of welfare services to Scheduled Tribes;
(b) if so, the objectives, key features and current status of implementation of the Adi Vani
application;
(c) whether the Government has assessed the reach, usability and effectiveness of the application
among Scheduled Tribe communities, particularly in Kerala, where tribal habitations are located
in remote and forest areas with limited digital connectivity;
(d) the steps taken to provide multilingual support, offline access, digital literacy training and
infrastructural assistance to ensure meaningful inclusion of tribal beneficiaries in Kerala; and
(e) whether any State-specific consultations, impact studies or corrective measures have been
undertaken in respect of Kerala and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (TRIBAL AFFAIRS)
(SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)
(a) & (b) The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched the beta version of Adi Vaani mobile
application on 1st September, 2025. The beta version is currently available on android platform.
The project aims to enable real-time text and speech translation between Hindi, English, and
multiple tribal languages (and vice versa), while offering interactive language learning tools for
early learners and students. It also focuses on digitally preserving indigenous knowledge, folklore,
and cultural heritage for future generations, in collaboration with national efforts on digital
literacy, healthcare, and cultural preservation to extend its reach and impact.
Its key features include Text-to-Text, Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, Speech-to-Speech
translation, Optical Character Recognition for digitizing and translating tribal manuscripts, and a
comprehensive repository with bilingual tribal dictionaries, primers, and subtitle integration for
dignitaries’ speeches in tribal languages. Health and cultural awareness content, such as timely
delivery of sickle cell disease information, is provided in native languages. Currently, real-time
text-to-text and speech-to-text translation is live for Santali, Mundari, Bhili, and Gondi, with Garo
and Kui nearing completion. In the second phase, more tribal languages are proposed to be
included in Adi Vaani.
(c) The Government is assessing the total outreach and number of downloads of the app. The
Ministry has also received feedbacks and testimonials from communities across the country. Asthe app is in beta phase and testing is in process, reach, usability and effectiveness of the
application among Scheduled Tribe communities, particularly in Kerala, is not undertaken.
(d) To provide multilingual support, the Ministry has initiated more tribal languages and is also
exploring the modality to provide some of the features in offline mode. Adi Vaani is an online
platform which is accessible from anywhere with internet access on multiple devices or platforms.
For the digital literacy training and infrastructural assistance,Ministry is engaging with the
communities through TRIs and language experts. However, there is no such activity being carried
out in the State of Kerala.
(e) No, there hasn’t been any State-specific consultations, impact studies or corrective
measures with respect to Kerala.
*****